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The Ultimate Guide to Receiving a Liebster Award

The Ultimate Guide to Receiving a Liebster Award

What is a Liebster Award?!

The Liebster Award is a fun award system run by bloggers for bloggers, as a way to support one another and give credit to a rising blogger for their hard work and efforts. It is also a great way to get backlinks, which boosts your domain authority. (If you don’t know your domain authority, you can find out with the new link explorer by Moz).Why is this important? Essentially by linking to your website, other bloggers are giving you “link juice” and telling google that your website is credible).

Liebster Award Rules:

Thank the person who nominated you and post a link to their site on your blog.

Display the award on your blog.

Answer their 10 questions about yourself.

Nominate other bloggers for the award, inform them via social media & create your own set of questions for them.

Enjoy winning an award and pass this great feeling onto someone else!

How to get a Liebster Award:

If you are interested in receiving a Liebster award, it is quite easy to do so. I recommend checking in Facebook blogging groups which offer collaboration threads. I personally really like Female Travel Bloggers.

In 2017, I received 3 nominations for the Liebster Award! A big thank to Wiebke from Miss Abroad, Cassy from Away We Stray and Josie from Josie Wanders. Since I have accepted the award, I must answer a set of travel related questions from my nominators!

What are the 3 most important items you always take with you when you travel? My passport, journal and camera.

Which culture fascinates you the most and why? I fell in love with Indian culture when I worked with clients who had emigrated to Canada from India years ago. I decided to travel there myself in 2015 for three months.

Why did you start travel blogging? I started my blog in 2016 when I went back to school for my PhD. Initially it started as a way to stay connected to the world of travel during periods when I couldn’t actually travel myself, but it has grown into so much more! Now I blog to network with other like-minded people, share information and continue growing and developing my writing skills.

What is your most favourite city you have visited so far? This is so hard to choose, but of all the places that I’ve been, Banff in Canada is where I continue to return.

What is the best thing that has happened to you while traveling? The best thing that happens while traveling I think is randomly running into people in the strangest places; for example, bumping into old friends I haven’t seen in ages in Belize, or meeting new people who are actually from my home town while across the world in Tanzania.

Did you ever face a scary experience while travelling? Yes, had a few sketchy travel experiences. I have learned to always trust my gut when gauging a situation or whether to trust a person; it has always been bang on.

Would you rather go on a road trip or train journey? Road trip for sure – I love the independence it offers.

What is your favourite cuisine? Right now I have an obsession for Italian food.

What is your least favourite part of travelling? Airport security.

Here are my answers for Away we Stray:

What inspires you to travel? I am inspired by so many things! I love to learn, I am curious about diversity and alternative ways of life, and I am passionate about nature, food and art so travel is a great mix of all these things.

What is your New Year’s Resolution? I tend to not make resolutions because they never hold for me. Instead I use the new year as a time to spend reflecting on the past year and the way that I want to live the next one to come. For me this means focusing on being a better person, finding more time for the things that make me happy and peaceful like meditating, hiking and yoga, and focusing on my writing.

Who is your favourite travel blogger(s) and why? I’m forever obsessed with The Blonde Abroad for traveling inspiration, and The Barefoot Blonde for lifestyle and fashion inspiration.

Which place exceeded your expectations, or even changed your idea of a country? India exceeded my expectations for the spiritual experience I was looking for, as well as the adventure I sought out as a solo traveler.

Have you ever lived abroad? Where, and for how long? Yes, I lived in England for 3 months, Australia for 6 months and Tanzania for 3 months!

Which belonging has been your biggest asset while traveling? I think my journal is my biggest treasure and asset while traveling. It allows me to reflect on certain experiences while also capturing all the details. It is one thing I never travel without.

Do you have any travel advice for an inexperienced traveler? Yes, trust your gut, be open to all experiences, always be grateful for the opportunity to travel and never forget to be humble for you are a visitor in someone else’s home.

What is a favourite, unique travel experience? Did you plan it, or did it just happen? I spent 10 days in a tibetan buddhist silent meditation retreat in the himalayas; it was by far the most unique and meaningful travel experience for me.

If you could spend 6 months cruising the oceans or spend 6 months in a land-locked country, which would you choose and why? If the land locked country had mountain ranges, I could do it! 6 months cruising the oceans sounds pretty enticing too though.

Where is your next ‘dream’ destination? I have so many! Indonesia, Philippines, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mozambique, Nepal.

Here are my answers for Josie Wanders:

What is your favourite travel book? Shantarum by Gregory David Roberts, or Black Star Safari by Paul Theroux.

Who is your preferred travel partner? Or do you prefer to go it alone? I prefer to travel alone just based on the flexibility it allows for!

What’s the number one thing on your bucket list right now? What is not on my bucket list is the question!

Which place does everyone else rave about but you weren’t so impressed? Many Canadians travel to Mexico due to its close proximity. I found Cancun a bit too touristy for my taste with the never-ending stretch of expensive resorts and ‘Americanized’ malls and restaurants, but absolutely loved Akumal and Tulum.

What is the first thing you do on arrival in a new country? I usually like to check into my accommodation and get situated before setting off to explore. I also really like to take a walking tour if available or do my own little tour on the first or second day to get oriented and learn about local history of the area.

What is one stand-out moment from your travels? It could be a favourite moment, something that went wrong, or something quirky that happened. I recently just finished a solo backpacking journey from South Africa up to Tanzania and it was seriously a dream trip.

Who would you like to sit next to on a flight and why? Nobody! It is so rare when the plane is not full that when the seat beside you is empty and offers a bit of extra arm room, it’s a moment to treasure.

Do you speak a second language? If you don’t, would you like to? Which one? I hired a Swahili tutor during my three months in Tanzania – I am still very much a beginner but I can get by in basic conversation which is a huge joy for me!

Is there a souvenir you collect on your travels? Not particularly unless I stumble across something really unique. Since I like to travel light, I mainly just collect memories and passport stamps.

Where are you off to next? Iceland in February and I could not be more excited!